Football two-a-days | No. 3 Wheaton Warrenville South: Tigers set to shoot for state again

August 22, 2012|By Mike Helfgot, Special to the Tribune

In the summer of 2010, current Central Michigan sophomore Titus Davis began to make a name for himself.

Though Davis did not crack Wheaton Warrenville South's receiver rotation as a junior, South coach Ron Muhitch predicted greatness after witnessing Davis' improvement during the offseason.

Muhitch was right on the money — Davis had an All-State senior season and was named third-team All-Mid-American Conference last fall — and is anticipating a case of deja vu this fall.

Senior receiver Corey Davis played sparingly last season, yet Muhitch is calling Titus' younger brother his best player heading into the season.

"Corey and Titus had the same development time period, blossoming between the summer of their junior and senior years," Muhitch said. "I'm real impressed how far that development took Titus. I expect the identical thing to happen for Corey."

Unlike Titus, Corey received some playing time as a junior, but the Tigers went through three quarterbacks and experienced growing pains on the offensive line.

Titus' unusual path to collegiate success comforted Corey, as did Wheaton South's turnaround from 1-3 to its third consecutive Class 7A state final (a 21-14 loss to Rockford Boylan).

"It was tough, but it turned out pretty good," Davis said. "I remembered what my brother went through, and I tried not to get frustrated. He was pretty frustrated then, and he worked harder in the offseason. I tried to do the same."

Davis said he put on about 15 pounds, and at 6-foot-2 1/2 he already looks like a college receiver.

Notre Dame has extended an offer, and Iowa and most of the MAC schools are recruiting him. Muhitch expects that list to grow soon.

"He was tremendous in the 7-on-7 tournaments we participated in," Muhitch said. "Our goal is to get a kid with that kind of speed and ability as many touches as possible. We will find ways to be creative with that."

Big names: Davis has an offer from Notre Dame. Garcia, Henry and Chism are MAC recruits.

Big game: Week 9 against Wheaton North could be the de facto DVC championship game for the second consecutive year. South beat North 27-13 in 2011.

Big question: Can a new group win the program's eighth state title?

FYI: The Tigers will open with Glenbard West and Maine South for the second consecutive year. Muhitch said he would like to extend both series for another two-year cycle.

Breakdown: A brand-new defense will be put to the test immediately by Glenbard West's power running and Maine South's aerial attack. Of course, there will be no panic if South loses both games. The Tigers appear to have more overall talent than last year, when they recovered from an 0-2 start to reach the 7A final.